I cannot tell a lie. This chapter has some foul language in it. I'm presuming that much cussing would be done in a real life situation like this. Plus, mentions of abuse in this chapter.
The Ripple
Sam was unsure of how the hell this happened, but Mercedes was tired of hearing him tell her that she needed to remain calm, and she ended up telling him that she was going to ride with Aphasia and getting into the big, old car with the woman, leaving Sam standing in the parking lot, confused. Aphasia was not about to tell her to be calm, even once. In fact, Aphasia turned up her music and Sam jumped when he heard the words, "If you don't give a damn, we don't give a f**k! If you don't give a damn, we don't give a f**k," blasting out of her windows. Sam frowned and went to the van. Hearing something like that was only going to make Mercedes even angrier. Aphasia obviously was doing this on purpose, and now, she sped down the street – driving entirely too fast to get to the destination! Sam was now pissed as he got into the van, knowing that he couldn't make it go as fast as Aphasia's car and who knew how soon she might get to Emma's before him?
Mercedes could not help but to bounce to the music playing in the car, although she didn't really know the songs – listening to them were pumping her up. The next song was just as hype, "Wanna go to war with me baby? This gangsta bitch can get crazy. Don't you deceive this lady. Don't f**kin' play with me baby…" "What are we listening to?" She called out to Aphasia, bouncing up and down with an angry grimace, pointing her finger and singing along.
"My battlecry playlist! I turns this on when sh*t gets real and I'm 'bout to go ham in dat ass!" Aphasia answered, with a snarl.
Mercedes reached over to turn the volume down some and replied, "I don't really know what "go ham" means; I mean – I understand the concept, I guess? But, let me straighten something up, right now – this is my fight." Mercedes placed her hand over her chest, for emphasis.
Aphasia scoffed and argued, "Mercedes, I know that you have the reason to be the most pissed off, but everybody involved has the right to feel like we owe Quinn Fabray a slap."
"Yeah, but you volunteered to be involved, didn't you? If you wouldn't have gone to Matt about Sam, you wouldn't be anymore a target than some random guy in the lobby of a motel. I think that you got involved for Sam and you probably already know what I think about that. But, in case you don't – I shall clear that up, as well. I can't make you not want Sam and I wouldn't even try to, because I know how wonderfully irresistible my man is. But, I can tell you that you can't have him, won't get him and should think about staying away from him, for your own sake. As far as Quinn goes, just like I'm not letting you have Sam or interfere in our relationship… I'm not letting you at Quinn. Too many people have seniority on that slap you feel like you have the right to owe her… and you can do whatever the hell you want after we're done with her."
Mercedes turned the music back up and started singing along to the song that she actually knew, rocking her head from side to side, "I beat that bitch with a bat. I beat that bitch with a bat." Aphasia glanced at her, but had become silent. All she knew about Mercedes Jones' condition was that she was once in a mental hospital and that she had been on medication for more than half of her life for mental conditions. For all she knew, this woman was about to flip the hell out and it made her a little nervous. Assholes and bullies Aphasia could easily deal with – but she didn't know a thing about going toe to toe with someone crazy. Aphasia kept her eyes on the road, so she didn't notice when Mercedes began clawing at her own wrists. She didn't notice that Mercedes had drawn blood.
Mercedes rushed into Emma's, with her wrists bleeding and scratched up, crying and calling out to Quinn, frantically. Mike was outside with Kurt and Blaine when Aphasia's car pulled up, booming "Ante Up" through the speakers. They saw her wisp passed them and followed her inside, confused and nervous, as Aphasia got out of her car. "She's hurt herself," Tina said, softly but loud enough. Mercedes held her wrists out in front of her to display them, calling Quinn's name.
"Oh God, Cedes," she heard Quinn say, "Let me get the first aid kit…" Emma generally kept one in the kitchen, so Quinn rushed to get it while Tina grabbed some tissues to pat the marks for Mercedes.
"What happened?" Tina asked, worried, but calm, for her crying friend.
"Oh Tina, it's just horrible…" Mercedes said, seriously upset. Quinn was rushing to her assistance, but she was still pissed and she had no idea where to even begin to tell Tina. She was going to try to let them see to her arms, then confront Quinn like an adult. Tina's voice and Quinn's rush to help her was mingling in with the anger she had in her heart.
But, then – Quinn returned, carrying the first aid kit and said, "This is exactly why I don';t trust Sam to take care of you –" The tiny palm that connected with the blond woman's jaw forcefully, not only hurt and shocked her but it knocked her backwards and sent bandages, ointment, and alcohol pads flying in multiple directions.
"How dare you even say his name to me after what you've done to him!" Mercedes roared. Her fists were clenched as she ignored the chaotic chorus of her name and requests and demands for an explanation as to what was going on. Tina had been the first to gasp and step back. Mercedes was never the violent one. That was Tina's issue and she was surprised and puzzled that Quinn could have done anything to pass Mercedes' boiling point. She knew that Mercedes had slapped Puck a few times over the years, but she also knew that Puck probably deserved that and more, and had hit him herself before at different periods. But Quinn?
"What happened?" Tina asked, waving her arms to silence everyone else.
"Tell them!" Mercedes shrieked at Quinn. "Why don't you tell them either you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, and I've gone crazy, or tell them why I am so pissed off sat you, right now!"
"Mercy…" Quinn's desperate, guilty voice called softly, from the floor. But her voice was the sign that Mercedes needed to reach out and grab her by the hair.
"How could you, Quinn?" She asked, wrapping the short blond hair in a ball around her left fist. She tugged the woman around by it and repeated, "How could you do that to us?" The entire room stood still and stared at the women in front of them – the image of Mercedes. Not being able to look directly at Quinn as she yanked her hair and thus her head in different directions as she raged at her – something none of them had ever seen before.
Quinn held on to Mercedes, trying to move with the pulls so that she wouldn't lose any hair from her throbbing head as she snapped, "No one was supposed to get hurt but Sam and Matt!" Now, the room went quiet and Mercedes paused as Quinn finished confessing, "My dad called me to talk about Sam and at first I told him to go to hell, I swear I did. But, they were attacking us. And Sam was relaxing with his family. When you got back, they were going to come after you in order to get to him. I thought that if they got him, first – there'd be no need for you to have to be hurt, and whenever he was removed, Tina and I could do what we always do and help you to heal. He and Matt were disposable to me…"
Now, Aphasia tried to charge at Quinn, but Blaine quickly caught her and held her back. Just as well, because Mercedes had slapped her in the mouth, this time with the back of her fist, for that terrible admittance. She still held Quinn's hair in a fist ball and shook her head as they fussed. Kurt's eyes were filled with tears. I must be having a nightmare. Cedes being violent… Quinn being a traitor… I can't! Then, something occurred to him about all of this. If it was true, Kim's death was because of Quinn… "Oh my God, Tina!" He said and turned to look at his friend with worry, sorrow and fear.
Tina was staring at Quinn and Mercedes with a look of agony frozen onto her face. She had felt this way before and forgot how alarming and haunting it could be… Paul had come to visit. She could hear her mother crying, hear him grunting. She walked in, clenching the knife in her fist – 14 years old. He had her mother in a headlock and was not showing her any mercy. Tina hadn't thought about consequences or danger when she had grabbed the knife. She hadn't thought about his reactions or her mother's response when she entered the room. As she shrieked and went running at the man, armed to try to kill him the only thing that she thought of was just that… killing him. She stabbed him in the back and he backhandedly punched her. She fell to the floor and he pounced on her and began to choke her. She could see her mother, trying to fight him off. Oh? Now she has some fight in her? She remembered thinking before she passed out. She woke up in a straight jacket at the institution…
But, today, as Tina's fists took turns striking whatever portion of Quinn she could touch, all she could think about was her sister. Mike was trying to pull her off of Quinn, while Mercedes wouldn't let go of the handful of hair, worried that Quinn would run away and she wouldn't get a chance to finish telling her off. Kurt was trying to pry Mercedes' hand from the tangles of hair, especially since it was making it nearly impossible for Quinn to defend herself against an already more skilled in fighting Tina. Aphasia just wanted one punch, just that – for both Matt and Sam being "disposable." What kind of despicable person bargains with someone else's life? Who did Quinn think that she was?
Sam came running into the living room and placed his hands on Mercedes' cheeks, "Mercy… baby… let Quinn go, okay?" He stroked her cheeks with his thumbs and she bit her lip, crying. "I know that you're upset, but this is not how you want to handle this. You don't want to hurt Quinn this way," he told her. "Let her go, for me?" He cupped her face and she let go of Quinn with a violent shove to her head. Quinn fell back on the ground and Tina got one last punch off in her throat before Mike was finally able to yank her far enough away that she couldn't reach, now that Mercedes was not in his way.
"You should be dead!" Tina fussed at her, "Puck should not have gotten killed. Kim should not have died, it should be you, you spineless bitch!"
Quinn cried, her face not nearly as bad as the side of her head, the top of her head and the back of her head. She had been trying to shield her face, therefore ended up literally getting beat all upside her head. She had a handprint on her cheek from Mercy's slap, as well as a busted lip from the backhand. She had blood in her hair, a busted eye, and a scratch across her cheek. "Tina, I know that you must hate me right now, but I swear, I never thought it would happen the way that it did. I thought I was protecting you two, like old times," she sniffled and shook her head, "It all got fucked up and I didn't know what to do."
"You should have told us!" She fussed. "You at least owed that to us, you snaky coward!"
"I couldn't! Do you know how hard it's been for me to have to watch you mourn and see how sad Beth is and know how Mercy's been so anguished and to know that I helped to cause that, when I promised you both that I would always look after you? That's been my punishment, and that's not to say I didn't deserve this. I just don't want you to hate me, forever."
"Too bad, bitch. Too damn bad," Tina said and ran at her, getting in one last slap across her face before Sam snatched her up and restrained her with both of his arms. Mercedes reached out towards Quinn and Quinn jumped, thinking she was going to be attacked again, but when she saw that Mercedes was trying to help her up, she accepted the hand.
Quinn was still trying to explain herself to Tina, and everyone else, "Matt Rutherford was willing to just shit all over us for his revenge and Schuester and the others were willing to do anything to get Matt and Sam out of the way! I didn't want to hurt Sam, but I had to make a decision. Love him, or not, he deserved everything that came back around on him, but Mercedes didn't. She shouldn't have had to be in the crossfire. Her business was attacked, Emma's business was attacked, Shane's center, Tina and Kurt's store, Santana being thrown into a trunk, Lauren being hit… I wanted to reason that this could somehow blow over with us pulling together and helping out and being in Sam's corner, but then again; what made Sam Evans so goddamned important that we would be willing to have all of our lives terrorized in order to keep him in it?" She cried and shook her head, apologetically at Sam, "He wouldn't leave. None of you would let him go. They were willing to pluck him away and leave the rest of us alone. I did it for us. For you, Tina, and for Mercy, and our family. I just wanted the shit to stop raining down on us."
"Look at how that turned out for you," Tina said coldly, still restrained by Sam, "your daughter is never going to see her father alive again, my sister, even though she's in heaven and no longer has to have fear or pain, died a death that she didn't deserve, and the two people in this world who would have cut or got cut for you are both cutting you the fuck off. Let go of me, Sam. I can't look at her for another second." Tina said. He put her down and Mike took her hand, but she pulled away and shook her head. "Get out," she told Quinn.
Quinn moved to gather her purse, but Sam said, "She can't leave."
Mercedes said, "Yes, she can and it's best that she does."
"If Quinn walks out like that, by herself, they'll know that we found out about her. She's going to be useless to them and in all probability be killed, maybe even on sight… and I don't care how pissed off y'all are at her right now, nobody wants to see Quinn dead."
"No, that's where you're wrong, Sam. You don't want to see Quinn dead, because you, like Mercedes are a very forgiving and loving person. I commend you for it. I commend Mercedes for helping the bitch off of the floor. But, I can tell you with all the honesty of a thousand damned Lincolns that I couldn't give a shit if Quinn dies," Tina said. "And if she doesn't leave, I'm going to, because there's no damned way in hell that I am going to stay in the same place as her and not just kick the shit out of her…"
It was like her words reminded her that they should be fighting and she rushed at Quinn again, but Mike caught her and told the others, "We'll leave."
Quinn said, "No, no… no, I'll leave. That's what's best for everyone. If something happens, hell – I brought it on myself. This is what I deserve," she shook her head.
"It may be what you deserve, but Beth doesn't!" Tina snapped at her. "Thanks to you, you're the only parent that she has left." Tina snatched her purse and started storming for the door. Mike was beside her, with his hand on her elbow to keep her standing as they walked to the door. She needed some time to think, to breath and to rage a little more. Maybe she could go practice throwing her knives, or viciously stab to death a piece of furniture, pillow or undeserving stuffed animal.
"Let's go to the gym. I'll let you punch the hell out of a punching bag, then we can get some shortbread cookies with nuts and…"
"Mike, I didn't just have a bad day at work. I just found out that one of the people that I loved the fuck out of with so much of my heart beat the shit out of my heart and got my sister killed. Kim was the only damned real family that I had left, and they killed her, because they heard me say something that Quinn helped them to hear me say!"
"She said that she thought the taps were only in the bedroom and Emma's office. I think that Quinn, as warped as it is meant well – that she really wanted to protect you and Mercedes…" Tina turned on the balls of her feet and glared at her man. "Baby – I know that you're mad, but has Quinn Fabray ever deliberately done anything to hurt you or Mercedes? Did you not tell me that Quinn may be bitchy, but she loves the two of you more than anything in the world?"
"I did say that, but I am not ready to feel like that about her, right now – Mike. I can't stomach it." She shook her head and sighed. "Where the hell are we headed? I don't have anywhere to go."
"We can go visit Kim," Mike suggested. Tina began to cry and fell on his chest, doing so. "I'm sorry. I thought that might help."
"No, don't be sorry. That's a beautiful idea." She allowed Mike to escort her to his vehicle, and open her door for her. How the hell had things come to this?
From the moment that Tina realized why Quinn was in the place, her entire view of the girl changed. She was still a bitch, but now – her bitchiness made sense. Hell, Tina was always confused about how her mother was not a bitch after everything that her father put the woman through. People react to different things in different ways. Quinn reacted like she was tougher than she really was. She was one of the softest, most vulnerable and sensitive people that Tina had ever known. However, Quinn took on the sneaky bad girl persona. She flirted with everyone, or played hard to get when she really wanted to have sex. She exposed herself, a lot and pretended not to care when people called her Lucy Caboosey, for being so "loose" with her "caboose." But, at night, Tina could hear Quinn crying. One night, she went over to her bed and whispered, "Need some company?"
Quinn reached for Tina, for the first time ever and Tina sat in the bed with her and let her rest her head on her lap. "You didn't deserve that. Noone deserves something like that. The most terrible, horrible person in the world doesn't deserve it. The only people who I'll say do deserve it are those who have done it to someone else. You're safe, now," Tina whispered. "Now, he can't touch you and you don't have to feel so bad that he's done this to you."
"He never goes away. He hides behind my eyelids. He'll never be gone," Quinn cried.
"Fuck that, yes he will be gone. Pain is not eternal," Tina said and Quinn sat up to lay her head on Tina's shoulder and cry, instead. This was usually Mercedes' thing, but hell – Tina had shoulders too and she reserved special spots on them for people like Quinn. To her, all of them were her mother, whether they looked different, talked different, and acted different; each survivor was a woman that she loved with her all…
Puck and Artie came through the community room to see Mercedes laying on her belly, with her head on Quinn's lap – nothing strange about that… but Tina and Quinn were laughing together as they played cars, instead of arguing or glaring at each other. Tina slammed a card down and said with a huge smile, "WAR, Beeotch!" Mercedes shook her head and laughed at the girl and Tina slapped her across the butt and said, "Don't laugh. I'm about to take this girl to war. War is no laughing matter…"
Puck asked, "How come Tina gets to always call girls "bitch" and slap them on the ass and that kind of stuff, but if I do it – I'm facing charges? Isn't it just as offensive when a cute chink does it?"
"A cute what?" Tina asked, throwing her cards down.
"A cute chick – what's wrong with that? Is that offensive, too?" He asked, backing away from her, hiding behind Artie's chair. "If she comes near me, bump her with the chair, Art."
"Really?" Artie asked, in disbelief that Puck had the nerve.
"You called me a chink!" Tina fumed at Puck.
"I did NOT," Puck said, jumping up and folding his arms, "I don't say stuff like that!"
"Actually, you did," Mercedes told him and Artie nodded.
Puck covered his mouth with a hand and said, "Sorry…"
"Fuck you, Puckerman," Tina said and stormed off.
"I meant to say chick! I thought I said chick," Puck called out, sadly. Quinn patted Mercedes two times on the back and Mercy got up, along with Quinn and they held hands as they went to go looking for Tina. Puck shook his head, "Did I really say that?" He asked and Artie nodded again.
Tina was sitting in her bed, hugging her legs and trying not to cry. She was pissed off, but she would be even more pissed if she began crying. Quinn sat on one side of her and Mercedes sat on the other side. Tina said, "When he said that; it made me think about my dad. My dad is the reason that I'm here. My temper is too much. It's a weakness. If I'm ever going to be able to defend myself in the world, I have to be more solid… more stable, you know?" Tina nodded her head, looking straight ahead of her and said, in all seriousness, "Because one day, I promise you two… I am going to kill that motherfucker. I'll make it look like an accident or a suicide, or something that can't be traced to me, and I'll do it without a shred of remorse. I've been waiting and planning it my entire life." She finally blinked away a few tears, glanced at her friends to see their reactions, then started laughing at herself. Neither of them were laughing, but they didn't seem shocked or upset or judgmental. In fact, they both simultaneously leaned over and covered her in a hug sandwich. "Oh shit… I think this is the first time that I've cried since I've been here…" She mused.
"We cry all the time, you can too, if that's what you need to do," Quinn told her and kissed her on the hair. Mercedes squeezed both of them tightly and Quinn announced, "You two are my sisters. I know that I'm just a few months older than you guys, but I feel like I have younger sisters and if either of you ever need me, I'm here for you." Tina fell on Quinn's shoulder and cried hard, with Mercedes lying on Tina's back during the hug. "Cry it out, Tina. You don't have to keep holding that stuff in. Sometimes, you'll have to cry, and Cedes and I will be there to help you and hold you up. That's what sisters do."
Tina cried as she laid back in the passenger's seat of the car. "You have no idea how much faith I put in Quinn, Mike. She broke it when she broke Mercy's heart by cheating with Puck. It took me two years to forgive her for that. I could hardly stand to look at her. Now, after this… do you think that I could ever even think of glancing her way? Mike – she's a horrible fucking bitch of a person and I can't ever love her again!"
"I think that if you didn't love her so much, it wouldn't hurt so bad. You don't have to hate her in order to be upset with her," Mike offered. "You can be the most pissed off person on the face of the planet and her and still love her, and I think that you do. But, I also believe you when you say that you'll never forgive her, and to be honest – she doesn't deserve your forgiveness."
"I would expect her to do shady stuff for us, but these people wanted Sam dead. I don't care for Matt, but they started that shit against him and even though he did us wrong, he was still responding to the shit they started with him. They wanted him dead. They wanted Sam dead, and this bitch was going to not only allow that, but give intelligence to assist those goals. I want to punch the shit out of her, all over. I don't feel like I have enough fists to punch this bitch the way that I want to for this shit, Mike. I'm so sorry for all the language."
"You're upset. Let it out," Mike said.
"I don't want to talk anymore," Tina said and wiped her face.
The girls didn't have anywhere that they could go. Mercedes had no home, Tina could not go back home without risking being taken back to the institution and Quinn… "I have an idea. I need you two to just stay put and I'll be back," she said.
"Hell to the no, Quinn. We aren't splitting up. What if the cops pick you up and you end up back at the institution alone. Wherever you're going, we're going!" She fussed.
"Well, alright… but you'll have to stay outside," Quinn said. They walked several miles until they reached a fancy mansion and Quinn told them, "Just sit right here, and I'll be back. It might take me a while, but I promise, I'll be back."
"We'll be here," Mercedes promised.
But Tina asked, "Where is this place, Quinn?"
Quinn gave her a small smile and said, "A place that I know that I could score us enough cash to get on our feet."
"How the hell?" Tina wondered.
Quinn buzzed into the gate and said, "It's me."
There was a long pause, then the male's voice said, "Quinnie… I never thought I would have you searching me out." The gate opened and he said, "I've missed you. Can't wait to see you."
"Quinn, where is this place?" Tina asked again, now extremely worried. But Quinn placed a finger over her lips and went into the gate, leaving her two friends outside of it. Tina walked a short distance and saw the elegant script on the gate which read: Fabray. "Q!" She called out to her, but Quinn made a run for the house, where the door was being opened. Tina covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head. "Oh my God!"
"What?" Mercedes wondered.
"This… This is her family's house. I think that she's going to her dad!" Tina said, in anguish.
Several hours later, Quinn came out of the house and met back up with her friends carrying a couple of bags and wearing makeup and perfume… though Mercedes could smell it on her… that godawful smell… She began to cry. "Stop it, Cedes. Something had to be done. We need to find a motel room. I just need to clean up for the night and sleep in a real bed. I don't want to waste all of the money… but just for tonight, I think.." She blinked tightly to release some tears, "I think we deserve a real place to sleep." Tina and Mercedes wrapped an arm around her, but she squirmed from their hold and said, "Please, not until I've had a chance to clean up."
"Quinn, I don't care if we have to sleep in cardboard boxes in alleyways, don't EVER take it upon yourself to save us again, not if it's going to be like this!" Tina fussed.
Quinn took a deep breath and nudged her head forward, "There a kind of shoddy place not too far from here. I say maybe we spend two or three nights there, then we tough it out on the street, again… to make sure we don't waste our money. In that time, we'll have to try to find Miss Pillsbury. She'll be willing to help us out." Quinn began walking, her mind in a distant and cold place. Tina and Mercedes grabbed each others' hands so that Tina could lead their blind friend along the road.
By the time they were in a room, all clean and changed into new clothes, as they had brought a few with them… Quinn got Tina to order a pizza, Mercedes turned on the clock radio to play some music and Quinn hugged a pillow tightly to her chest and cried. "I did it for you two. I just love both of you so much. You're my real family, and I'm always going to do whatever it takes to protect you guys."
"We'd never ask you to do something like that, Quinn," Mercedes told her.
"I know," Quinn said, sobbing, "But, I couldn't think of a single way that we might have been able to get some money tonight. At least with him, I know what to expect. Had a picked some guy up on the street, he might have tried to do something to you two, or cut us all up or something. I had to go with the lesser of two evils." She shrugged and said, "I don't really have much of an appetite. I… I'm just going to go to bed." Quinn curled up on the edge of the bed and hugged the pillow tightly. Mercedes was crying softly, and Quinn told her, "And don't cry, Mercedes. I'm a strong girl. I'll be alright."
"This is all my fault," Mercedes said.
"No it isn't. Don't start this," Quinn said.
"It was my idea to run away, even though we have nowhere to go and nothing to use. I should have just shut up and toughed it out…" Mercedes cried. Now, Quinn got up and crawled over to her.
She tucked Mercedes into one arm and said, "Cedes, there's not a damned thing that I wouldn't do for you and Tina. I know sometimes I mess everything up, but I really do love you both. You would've been miserable without Miss Pillsbury. We all would have been miserable. I left because I wanted to leave with my two girls."
That was why Tina had been so shocked when Quinn had sex with Puck. Quinn had sex with many guys, but she had stopped her promiscuity… right around the time that they became officially homeless and she forced herself to go crawling back to her father. So, when Quinn and Puck had sex, Tina thought that Quinn must have purposefully consciously decided to just do the worst possible thing imaginable to Mercedes. Quinn insisted that she just "broke" the night that she and Puck had sex… but later, she admitted that she wanted to make Puck detestable to Mercedes, forever. She succeeded in that, at Mercedes' expense. Tina wanted to put a hurting on her, then.
Whenever they became friends again, and it came up between Tina and Quinn, Tina had to know, "How could you do that to her?"
Quinn made this stone face, though her blue eyes were emotionally distressed as she said, "I believed that he wasn't good enough for her. I thought to myself, if he would do that with me, he would do it with someone else, definitely. She would end up hurt. But, after I did it, I didn't have the heart to come clean. You know me… I never have the heart to come clean. I'm always afraid that if I tell her something that upsets her enough – she'll try to kill herself and what if she succeeds?" Quinn shed some tears and exhaled. "I knew that once she found out, she would hate me, but I thought that it would be worth it, if she was more careful about shielding her heart and if it got Puck the hell out of there." Quinn clapped her hands together once and said, "I don't think that I'll ever not be completely fucked in the head, because any time that I say what I feel out loud, I seem to sound like a basketcase." She shrugged, "That's why I rarely talk about how I feel."
"You could always talk to us," Tina said. "What you did was wrong and you hurt her worst than anyone ever has."
"I know. It broke my heart to do it. I'll never do it again. I'll never hurt her and I'll never let her get hurt again. And this time, I damned well mean it, Tina," Quinn said.
"You are totally obsessed with her, you know that, right?" Tina asked, partially joking.
Quinn said, "I feel like my life would be incomplete without her. I have no idea how to deal with this concept of maybe losing her one day. I am obsessed, in a way."
"Quinn, Mercedes can't be your special case and sacred cause for the rest of her life. She wants to live, too," Tina said.
"I know," Quinn said, but that never changed the way that Quinn treated her – like she needed constant supervision, constant sheltering, and constant protection. Between her and Puck, it was a surprise that Mercedes was not a vegetable…
Quinn stared at Sam, rubbing Mercedes' shoulders as he held her close. She glanced at the Evans, who had simply been staring in shock and horror at the entire scene before them. They were supposed to be leaving today, but they didn't look like they planned on going anywhere. Sam looked at Quinn and tried not to glare at her. He wasn't even pissed at her for what she had done to him. He was pissed at her because, once again, she had completely broken Mercedes' heart, and this time, he was going to be the one around carefully trying to place the pieces back together.
Stevie was staring at Quinn, with wide eyes. She rolled her eyes at him and got up to leave the room, where her friends were all relatively silent and her bestfriend was hurt again, thanks to her. Stevie got up a few moments later and followed Quinn out. She jumped when she saw him walking behind her towards one of the bathrooms, "What are you doing?" She asked him.
"I had a question," he said.
"And now you don't?" she asked, because of his choice of words.
"I do… You said that you tried to make a deal – that they would leave your friends and Mercedes alone if they were able to get Rutherford and Sam…" he said.
"That's not a question," she told him, keeping her distance.
"It's just that… I was told that Sam wasn't a target – that they no longer cared about him and they wouldn't mess with him. I was told that they just wanted to get Rutherford out of the way," he said. "I feel kind of stupid."
"You are. We both are stupid and we've gotten gotten the hell beat out of us for being stupid. Anything else that you're confused about?" Quinn wondered.
"No. Thank you," he said and turned to return to the other room. Quinn sighed and continued into the bathroom. She stared into the mirror, at her bruised, busted lip, the red swollen mark on her cheek, the scratch on her other cheek, and the black eye in its red stage. She placed her hands on the sink to steady herself. Her head hurt like hell and was spinning. She shut her eyes and thought about everything.
"You're doing the right thing, Quinnie. You feel bad about it right now, because you don't know all the details. You only know what they said during the trial and the person that Sam Evans is pretending to be. Men like him are professional actors."
"Men like you are professional actors," she retorted to her father.
"Yes, he learned his skill under men like me." Russell Fabray smiled and folded his hands over each other, "Quinnie… you believe Sam Evans when he tells you that Jesse St. James was a rapist and a dominant rising star in the ranks of a white power structure. Didn't he seem to be something totally different? He had the black wife, the charity missions, the hospitality efforts and humanitarian acts. Now, if Jesse could pull off all of that and still manage to be who you believe that he was beneath the surface, why should you think that Sam Evans is any different? Do you think that he isn't smart enough, not talented enough? How the hell do you think he survived in prison, with a conviction like his? The man is one of the best chameleons there is and I'm sure that his relationship with your little friend is a definite sham to cover up whatever his true plan is. Let us get him out of your hair. I just want to know what you know about him."
"But bugging the place?"
"It'll just be the room that Evans is going to sleep in and the office – two places that he'll probably be most likely to talk," he assured her.
"And what if you hear something about someone else?" She asked.
"Our only concern is Sam Evans and Matt Rutherford." Quinn sighed and took a swallow, "What do you want to know?" She asked.
It felt bad, but she wanted him gone and this was the easiest way. When her father started asking about Tina (who was Sam's alibi), that was when Quinn got antsy and began to insist that was exactly why Sam couldn't have possibly killed Jesse – because Tina never would have lied for him and to leave Tina out of it… but it was too late. They already knew enough to set more wheels in motion and by the time Puck and Kim died, Quinn cowered from confession.
She came out of the bathroom and bumped into Sam with a gasp. He lifted an eyebrow and asked, "You alright?"
"Absolutely, Mr. Evans," she sassed and tried to step around him, without making eye contact. Sam blocked her from walking and she looked up at his face. "What do you want?"
"I prayed for you… for good things for you. I've never meant you any ill will," he said. "But, you were never able to see me as a good person. I somehow have the feeling that it has nothing to do with me, though." Sam said. "It's your father, isn't it? When you look at me, you see him?"
"What difference does it make?"
"I guess that I care why the hell you hate me so much that you would threaten Mercy's happiness to be rid of me…" Sam said.
Quinn scoffed, first, then chuckled, laughed hysterically and until she guffawed herself to tears, "Her happiness? Sam Evans… What makes you think that you are the key to the happiness of a woman? Because you come in and do some reckless things with her to show how much you respect how capable she is at doing things? Because she was willing to turn her back on everyone who ever meant anything to her to be with you and your, at least 2/5, hateful ass family? Or is it because she chose you, after years of faithful abstinence to finally give her virginity to?" She snarled, "You and your fucking three condoms! At least you cared enough to play it safe, but how about overkill? How about maybe not using three condoms the first time around? Were you even gentle with her? Did you even care what you might be doing to her psychologically? No! Because, despite everything that you wanted us to believe with how much you've changed and how much you care, she still is an object to you, for you to do with her whatever you want!"
"I'm not your father!" Sam snapped. "And Mercedes is not your little girl!"
Quinn shook her head and said, "Nor is she your wife. You had no right to use her that way. She wanted to wait until she was married. It has been important to her since she was a young girl!"
"She initiated it," Sam said. "And this has nothing to do with that!"
"That is a representation of who you are! She gave you everything – food, shelter, work, friendship, love, and the moment she was vulnerable, the moment she was too hurt to think properly and you got her alone you took advantage of her. Everything wasn't enough for you. You wanted everything and more!" She cried, "Then, you have the nerve to come here and pray with us, pray for us – like you actually care!"
"I cared about you, so much, Quinn. You were Mercy's best friend, her sister. I considered you family…"
"Mercy is my family! She is THE ONLY family that I have ever had who always loved me, no matter what! Even Tina hated me after the Puck thing, but Mercedes kept me in her heart. She wouldn't let me go! But, then you come along and not only does she let me go, but she pushes me away, ignores me, gets angry with me. All I wanted to do was protect her. I fucked my sick fuck father to make sure she could eat when we left the fucking home! Do you think I did that because I just loved it so much? I did that because I love her! And you've done nothing but bring her calamity."
"I'm sorry that you have the issues that you have with your dad, but that has nothing to do with me or Mercy. If I could take away all of the junk that makes you this way, I would, trust me," Sam said.
"Like, if you could do something to help Mercedes, you would? Why have you not thought of going to Schuester and saying, 'Hey, I can't help but notice that you're trying to intimidate or kill my girlfriend's loved ones. Since you have beef with me, why don't you just take me instead?'" Quinn asked. Sam stared at her. "You know what I did when I saw my friends were in trouble? I went into the goddamned lions' den and I faced the lion. Sure, I was ripped to shreds, because they weren't trustworthy, but at least I tried. I believe, to this moment that had you and Matt been taken care of, Mercedes would no longer be on their list of concerns anymore than Aphasia was on Jesse St. James' before you killed him. She could have had a chance to bounce back."
"You're right, Quinn," Sam said, nodding. She narrowed her eyes to glare at him. "I'm not kidding. When they started this, I should have stepped up and faced them. I knew that they were after me and I should have dealt with that. But, you know what you could have done, instead of 'going into the lions' den' as you put it? Talked to me! You've never had any qualms about being a bitch to me in the past. You could have bitched at me and told me that I need to face them. Instead, you betrayed Mercedes, by making her think that you'd accepted me, when you wanted me destroyed."
"That's not what I wanted…" she corrected. "But, I didn't want our bodies everywhere, us in hospitals, us in hiding. I wanted the beef to be settled between those who it was between, without me and mine being collateral damage. I can't apologize for that. I can only apologize that in my desperation, I rationalized something completely crazy. Now, nobody wants me here and as Tina pointed out, I have a daughter to take care of. I should be getting back to her." She started to walk away, then paused and faced him again. "I just want to say… I told Emma about what I'd done. We talked and she was going to try to arrange a session, for me to tell everyone. She got attacked before she could do it. But, I knew that they probably know that I told her. My coming back here was a danger, and that's why I left Beth with her aunt. But, Mercy called me and she was having a breakdown, and for the first time since she got with you, she actually needed me. And I ran to her. I always will." Quinn wrapped her arms around herself and left.
Tina knocked on the door of the room that Quinn had been staying in and got no answer. She opened it and all of Quinn's things were gone. She shut it and went into the room that she and Mike were sharing with Sam and Mercedes "Where's Quinn?" She asked.
Mercedes said, "She decided to leave."
"In what – her car is still outside," Tina said. Mercedes flinched at that and she pulled herself up from the bed to rush outside with Tina. Tina added, "I remember thinking, she was brave enough to stay…" They walked out to the car and Tina opened the car door. Quinn's stuff was inside of the car, and her keys were on the floor of it. "Mercedes… I think that Quinn's missing."
"What do you mean, missing?" Mercedes asked.
"I… think that maybe someone took her," Tina said. Mercedes covered her forehead with her hand and put her head down. "Let's go see if she's in the house. Maybe I'm overreacting." But, then, Tina passed by Aphasia's car, too… wondering why she would still be here. "Did the Evans' leave?" She asked.
"No. Stevie took off in the truck and they haven't been able to get him on his phone," Mercedes answered. Tina broke into a sprint to the house and Mike, Matt and Sam all jumped at her entry.
"What's wrong?" Mike asked.
"Have any of you seen Quinn or Aphasia?" She asked.
"They left," Mike said.
"No… Quinn's car..." Tina shook her head and said, "I think that someone got her. I think someone got Aphasia, too." She ran a hand through her hair and said, "Sam, I think that your brother might have taken them somewhere, and that's why you can't contact him."
Sam asked, "Where's Mercy?" He jumped up and rushed outside.
Tina said, "She was right behind me," shaking her head, about to cry. Sam hurried to the street and didn't see any sign of her. "Oh God, did they take her too? That quickly?" Tina asked, covering her heart.
Sam put a finger up at Tina to silence her for a moment, and asked, "You hear music?" Tina looked towards Quinn's car and they saw Mercedes sitting inside of it, listening to music and crying. Sam let out a sigh of relief and scampered to her, "Mercy! God, you scared me."
"Sam, why didn't you tell me that Stevie is with these people?" She asked.
"Stevie's a good, smart kid. He's just going through some things and I thought that for sure, he was just trying to get a rise out of everyone and prove some kind of point…"
"I think he is, too," she said and handed her phone to Sam, "He called me and told me to show you something." Sam took the phone from Mercedes and opened the alert that she had picture mail. When he opened it, he saw Quinn and Aphasia, tied to each other and gagged, with the message: Hank would like to see you.